Communism is an internationalist movement, so this comes as no surprise. It would be illuminating to know what other training Antifa has received, who are its funding sources, and whether it has any connection, in light of the increasingly manifest Leftist-Islamic alliance, with jihad groups. Once they’re in Syria, it wouldn’t be hard to make such connections, and that may have been why they went there, instead of anywhere else in the world where they could have met up with violent Marxists. These Kurdish Marxist groups fought against the Islamic State (ISIS), but wouldn’t have any problem with other jihad groups that share its determination to destroy the free societies in the West.
“DHS Investigates Alleged Antifa Protesters as Terrorists Trained in Syria,” by Daniel Villarreal, Newsweek, August 3, 2020 (thanks to the Geller Report):
An intelligence report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states that anti-fascist activists (Antifa) are being investigated as possible terrorists with affiliations to Syria, even though no self-identified members of the loosely-affiliated Antifa protest movement have either been proven to commit any murders or carry out any terrorist attacks.
The July 14 report, entitled “The Syrian Conflict and its Nexus to the U.S.-based Antifascist Movement,” states “ANTIFA is being analyzed under the 2019 DHS Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence,” according to a copy of the document obtained by the progressive political magazine The Nation. It received a copy from someone who previously worked on DHS intelligence.
The report details more than half a dozen people identified with various far-left causes who have personally visited Syria to fight alongside Kurdish factions. The factions include the YPG, the People’s Defense Unit; the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party; and the Peshmerga, military forces that provide security for Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region. None of these organizations are currently listed by the U.S. as terrorist groups.
“There appears to be a clear connection … between ANTIFA ideology and Kurdish democratic federalism teachings and ideology,” the report stated. “(U.S. Customs and Border Protection) concern about and interest in these individuals stems from the types of skills and motivations that may have developed during their time overseas engaged in foreign conflicts.”…
Spiro says
Oh I’m sure this will be on main stream
News any day now
Right ????
J Morgan says
We should know what kind of training Antifa are receiving and how they use this training at the riots in America. As well as who is funding them.
David Curtis says
Antifa protest movement have either been proven to commit any murders or carry out any terrorist attacks.
YET
gravenimage says
Well, it *was* reported in Newsweek. Newsweek is pretty mainstream.
spiro. says
Newsweek
That’s still around ?
gravenimage says
Yep. They even–albeit very occasionally–report something useful.
sweetolbob says
Spiro:
Yeah ! I’ll monitor CNN for it.
Seriously, America is a free country. It is the right of any citizen to go where ever they want to go.
Just be sure they don’t come back.
They made their choice. I hope they like it there !
Yohanan says
If true that they fought with the Kurds – that’s to their credit as the Kurds fight against ISIS, Turkey, Iranian-Iraqi Shiite militias and also sometimes against Assad.
CogitoErgoSum says
That’s pretty much what the Germans thought when they decided to help Lenin go to Russia so he could overthrow the Czar. Look at how that turned out. I see nothing commendable about being a Marxist.
ElderlyZionist says
The PKK Kurds are Marxists but, along with the KDP Kurds, have proven reliable US allies in the wars in Syria and Iraq, practically our only reliable allies in theater. The KDP Kurds (Barzani’s quasi-state in Iraq) are not Marxists, they are more of a tribalist mafia. The Kurdish factions cooperate when they must, compete when they can. It’s a dilemma.
The US may some day soon have to take military action to block the Turkish (Erdogan’s) imperial drive to take over northern Syria and Iraq (Syrian and Iraqi Kurdistan), the eastern Mediterranean and its offshore gas fields. If we go to war with Turkey, the Kurds will probably fight along with us again, if we support their aspirations for independence.
So. We had better step carefully in Kurdistan, and think through the implications of every move we make. As for Antifa, domestic terrorists are a domestic problem, and we should deal with them as such.
CogitoErgoSum says
You will have to explain to me how any Muslims can also be a Marxist when Marx himself called religion the “opium of the masses” and wrote the following:
“The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo.”
If the PKK Kurds are Marxists they must not be Muslims. If the KDP Kurds are not Marxists and mostly Muslim and mafia in nature, I don’t see them being champions of a U.S. type of democracy. I really don’t see what we have to gain by supporting any of the Kurds, except for the ones which are neither Marxist nor Muslim – and how many of the Kurds fall into that classification? Probably not many but those are the ones we should help.
SKA says
PKK is regarded by Turkey as a terrorist group. But Turkey is a member of NATO and therefore an ally of the USA. So US support for the PKK is problematic. ANTIFA members are there not so much as loyal fellow Marxists but to learn as much military skill as possible to bring back to the US where they have their own revolutionary goals. Antifa could align themselves with Jihadi groups in the US but this would be at best a tactical alliance. In the long term the secularist goals of Antifa conflict with the goals of the jihadists. The more these Antifa volunteers are able to transfer their skills to the rest of their comrades the more dangerous the group will become.
St. Croix says
Of course, Turkey, and the wonderful freedom-loving Erdogan, consider all Kurds terrorists, and use that as an excuse to attack them with the aim of full-fledged genocide; they are in the way of his Turkish caliphate. Turks were tweeting this story with the same images a while ago, I saw it on Twitter. And Edrogan has been “warning” the U.S. that Antifa have this Kurdish connection. The implication being all Kurds need to be destroyed…and “we want your help and approval in our mission to do so.”
Antifa is an anarchist and Marxist ideological group, bent on destroying Western democracies and institutions. There is no doubt about that. They’ll get training wherever they can. Peshmerga are a fighting force who would have no doubt welcomed anyone who wanted to join in, as they were outgunned and outnumbered. I have serious doubts that the Kurds are in the game of training terrorists to take down America. They are one of the main areas where Americans are welcome, and they openly say “we love America!” They are not hardline Islamists, and other religions are openly accepted. I know people who are working there as Christian missionaries, they can tell you what it’s really like.
At the same time, we have to look at whatever Turkey is promoting and spreading as suspect to some degree, because of their end-game; the restoration of the Caliphate. And the destruction of every obstacle.
It’s coming out now that the Turkish gov’t and Qatar were funding and supporting ISIS. Peshmerga, for example, being the ones leading in fighting against ISIS. Hence, the Kurds are not the friends of Turkey; they are on the death list.
But, even if they had not fought ISIS, Kurds are the target of many of these regimes, and though they are living on the land that was part of their historic empire, they are not allowed to have their own state. For one thing, the Medes (the Kurds are the remnants of the ancient Medes) were an empire of power before Islam ever existed, and we do know that is UNACCEPTABLE. No evidence of other empires must remain–it’s in the Islamic writings. The fact they want their own state is an affront to the Islamic nations who conquered them.
The Yazidis, who are also Kurds, are particularly hated, b/c they would not accept the terms of defeat, i.e. accept Islam and change your religion. Which is why they were particularly persecuted and almost obliterated. The other Kurds accepted Islam and were colonized rather than be obliterated, but have never really forgotten where they came from. So they are an odd man out in Islam.
Be very very careful about the source of what’s put out there. Yes, the U.S. DHS is putting this out. But there is a slant to the document, and from what I saw, the source is Turkish intel. So it’s purpose is to tar the Kurds, so that when Turkey moves to commit genocide (they are already bombing their villages under the pretext of wiping out terrorism), everyone will say, oh, yeah, it’s just those nasty Marxists he’s destroying. Listen, Erdogan is going to try and destroy everything and everyone who might stand in his way. And he’s not above a little Taqiya along the way. In fact, it’s one of his main tools; he’s using propaganda as effectively as Hitler.
I’m not saying there’s nothing to this story. I’m saying the Kurds have no ambitions to dominate the world through Marxism. And check the source of this info the DHS is now spreading. One of the problems of the U.S. admin is cutting Turkey way way too much slack. It will prove disastrous. They are not real allies of any Western democracy. My Christian missions friends are working in Kurdistan, and spreading the gospel, giving medical help.
Apart from them, they receive little help. No one seems to want to help the Kurds. Yet, we will use them to accomplish our goals, then withdraw support. Now, the idea is that we have to see THEM as the enemy. Believe me, they are not the real enemy. What inroads have they ever made against the nations, trying to “spread Marxist ideology?” It’s ludicrous. Recall what Sadam H. did to them. Why are they so hated? Could it be that their clinging to their ancient roots of an Empire that dominated the Middle East is heinous in the eyes of the staunch Islamist? Could it be that their desire to have their own homeland is a serious threat? Yes, they do have an arm that fights against Turkey, like the Basque or other groups. I’m not saying I agree with that. However, that’s not what this “report” is basically accusing them of.
I believe it’s Erdogan also trying to stir up trouble and ingratiate himself with the U.S. by offering this “information”… Again, not saying there is NO truth in it. But let’s weigh and measure, let’s fact-check and also note the source (which is not the DHS).
There is one particular character and nation we should be keeping the eye on, and holding everything that comes from them suspect–even if it has truth mixed in, it’s probably serving their overall goal of the establishment of their Caliphate and the revival of the Ottoman Empire.
SAFI says
I think you make some good points, especially about the effectiveness of turkish propaganda. Sometimes I honestly admire how skillful and machiavellian it is in its planning, they could easily compete with the Russians and Chinese in this area.
CogitoErgoSum says
I would be for helping the Kurds but only if it meant helping them leave Islam … and leaving it for Marxism is a non-starter. The Muslims may be nice to your missionary friends now but once the Muslims no longer need outside assistance they WILL turn on any Christians around them. The Kurdish Marxists will do the same too.
Huh!?! says
So if found to be true, can these enemy combatants be stripped of U.S.citizenship and deported?
SAFI says
These Kurdish Marxist groups fought against the Islamic State (ISIS), but wouldn’t have any problem with other jihad groups that share its determination to destroy the free societies in the West.
Just replace ‘kurdish marxists’ with western marxists/SJWs and I might be able to agree with that sentence. Although I think the “Leftist-Islamic alliance” will eventually break down even in the West where it actually exists…
gravenimage says
Antifa members from US went to Syria to fight alongside Kurdish Marxist groups
…………….
The only thing that surprises me about this story is that Antifa would go up against anyone tougher than shopkeepers.
St. Croix says
LOL. You’ve got that right. I think they are mostly cowards. This “report” from the Turks is probably more of their propaganda than anything. Yes, maybe a few who are in Antifa were joining in with the PKK, but overwhelmingly Antifa seems to be SJW college students and Islamic agitators
I do hope the readers of Jihadwatch will be discerning when it comes to the games Turkey is playing. https://ahvalnews.com/antifa/us-anti-fascist-movement-has-links-pkk-erdogans-top-advisor-says
gravenimage says
Yes–we always are wise to take reports from Muslim lands with a rather large grain of salt.
OLD GUY says
REVOKE their citizenship as enemy of state. Its simple if you join the enemy you are no longer welcome and you have no rights, period. Antifa membership should be a red flag with these people put on a watch list.
SAFI says
If the PYD is considered “enemy” fair enough… but maybe then you should also revoke the citizenship of the troops the US sent to Syria and at least some Pentagon higher ups for the same reason
Jerome B Bigge says
Why is Turkey still a member of NATO? The time is going to eventually come when the “FINAL WAR” (between Islam and the non-Islamic world) where our “allies” will likely be Russia and China along with India… Of course the “West” may well someday “surrender” itself to Islam after its “castration” by “liberalism”.
gravenimage says
I don’t think that we can rely on Russia or China.
But yes–Turkey should have been kicked out of NATO long since.